** ** ** Dungeon Core ** ** **

Bastill was thrown out of his concentration by some unusual fighting going on the first floor. He focused in on the spot and noticed his own creatures were fighting again. He watched with curiosity as the two racoonoid clans clashed. It was fascinating to watch the differences between the two. Though this took him away from his current project he still felt it was important to watch the major events in the Dungeon. After all these were his creatures.

He watched as it all climaxed at one of the leaders pulling out a magic staff and yelling, ““Well Fuck! Fuckity Fuck Fuck FUCK!”

Was that supposed to be a magic spell?

All the creatures paused in confusion after Chicane yelled out the words. Bastill realized that the leader had no magic power at all. There were no spells coming now or ever at the hands of the Racoonoid. With some curiosity he decided to meddle in this fight. The thought of magic wielding Racoonoid’s intrigued him too much not to try. The worst that would happen would be the little guy explodes.

That would be very unfortunate… Well no time like the present. I can always revive him later.

He didn’t know how magic really worked, but he remembered that the blood foxes had gained slight magical abilities after the catalyst was used in their creation. Trying to put the consequences out of mind he began to mesh the little leader with the ceremonial blood catalyst. His body began to converse and his eyes rolled up in his head. He continued to convulse as the catalyst integrated into his biology.

Please don’t explode. “I’m sorry!”

He felt bad and apologized to the Racoonoid guy mentally. With a burst of power Chicane fell onto the floor before he slowly began to pick himself up. He then lifted up the staff and tried to use it again. He began to chant, “WELL WELL WELL. FUCK! I’M SORRY! FUCK!”

With his curses came the spark of magic, it erupted an area of fire on the ground his enemy stood on. His enemies quickly followed their leader Niccolo into the afterlife. Chicane and his warriors cheered in victory. Bastill was met with a peculiar notification.

Special Elite Change

Would you like to approve these changes?

+Niccolo lost his Elite position

+Chicane is now a Special Elite

It seemed this fighting had resulted in a unique change. He didn’t know what these changes meant or why they had happened, but he felt the winner deserved the rewards. After all, he never approved of the other clans’ more brutish control. With both clans under one ownership and a unique special elite title he felt certain it would better his Dungeon.

Feeling that he had successfully handled this situation he turned his focus back onto the fourth floor as he began to continue reengineering some of his creatures. He was currently working on the Water Skater. He had already completed work on the Elder Berry Leaf Imitator. The camouflaging bug now was able to release webbing similar to a spider. It was more silky than spider webbing though. It was also tinted green and blended in with the rest of the bush.

While the silk wasn’t sticky it did however have interesting paralyzing properties similar to the Serrated-Billed Playtypus hind legs. But instead of burs it was spread directly through contact; this administration also gave it a lesser effect. It wouldn’t paralyze but would reduce the speed of creatures that came into contact with it. This property was only made as a defensive strategy for the Elder Berry Leaf Imitator. He had released it into the breeding areas for the creature waiting for its traits to become main stream for all of the Imitator Bugs.

He was now back to working on the Water Skater Bug. He contemplated giving it a catalyst, but it would be similar to giving a child a weapon. If you want an assassin, you don’t just hand just anyone a knife. You need to make or find the assassin and give it the blade. The little Water Bug was the furthest thing from an assassin at this moment, so there was no point in using the catalyst on it.

Bastill decided to rewire its brain slightly using Forced Evolution. However, he couldn’t seem to change its fundamental mind set. It was never going to be a fierce predator, but he did strengthen the urge to protect its nest. Then he changed its breeding area to be out in the open and increased its birth rate. He wanted to make it’s legs like scythes. He could already see it in his head. Adventurers attempt to collect water only to be swarmed by a dozen one knife legged bugs! He set it loose and watched as it dove back into its water habitat. Instead of skating along the surface. The legs cut straight through the water. He thrashed around until it began to drown.

“NOOOO, my little scythe bug! Someone save it! I worked so hard on it! Kitsune! Come quick! Anyone”

He knew Kitsune was too far away. His little bug would die all because his evolution made the creature sink instead of skip across the water. Just when he was about to give up he noticed three Racoonoids heading towards his location at an insanely fast pace. Focusing in on them he noticed they were all hunched over a Mini Goat galloping towards him.

When they reached the water one of them dove into the water. Bastill could see him swim down and rescue the now unconscious bug. The racoonoid surfaced with his creation and began to swim back onto shore. He laid the bug down onto the ground on its back. The three Racoonoids noticed that the bug had ceased to breath. Bastill tried to assist them in resuscitating his creation, “It’s swallowed a lot of water and can’t breath you should…”

Before he finished the soaked Racoonoid ran picked up a rock and slammed a rock onto the bugs softer exposed belly, which erupted with goo. The little Racoonoid’s eyes shot wide open in surprise before looking really sad and looking down. He uttered under his breath, “I don’t think the ‘Deathstick’ Bug will make it…”

Bastill mentally palmed his metaphorical face as he asked the racoonoid what he had been trying to do. The racoonoid explained, “Normally a hard hit to the belly knocks out the water. If it was full of water, it should have knocked out the water…”

It was pretty sound thought process for a being that was less than a year old. He thanked them for trying their best and informed them that he would leave more iron ingots in their town as a reward. They happily jumped back on their goats after tying the dead bug to one of their steads and trotted back to their home.

I really didn’t need to go through all that trouble. After all I can summon another one with the new improvements.

He summoned a new one and began to change the legs back to their original shape. He decided to go with the new paralyzing affect and evolved them to secret a substance from their legs. It would be more effective when they swarmed. It reminded him of another creature’s tactics. It was similar to the Bee’s and their beehive. Similar to bee stings, adventurers would be warn down after several administrations of their toxin. Unlike the bee sting, the adventurer’s might not realize they were being affected immediately since it did not hurt, but instead numbed the area.

It felt good to improve the creatures he already had. This would really improve the West wind’s tunnel by increasing the difficulty. Zephyr’s path was home to a lot of Elder Berry Leaf Imitators. In general, the entire dungeon’s marginally increased. The water inside was no longer as safe to approach with the improved Skaters.

He began to finally work on the fourth floor. It had been enough stalling. He couldn’t just leave it empty, besides the adventures were slowly working through the sins’ trials much to their shame. Some had been very scarred from what they had to do… He had mad one error though. One of the breeding rooms was not very well hidden in one of Ardor’s Trials. With all the lustful arua and reactions goin on a pair of adventurer’s slipped away from the group to have a little fun in the room with the Caring Mother of Fertility statue watching over them. Gossiping adventurers in the dungeon had let him find out that about a pregnancy that was already in its final stages much to the women’s shock. To amend this mistake he quickly hid all his breeder rooms much better.

** ** ** House of the Fox ** ** **

Opal lay in his room curled up in a little ball. He looked to be asleep, but his mind ran rampant.

Invidious, Invidious, Invidious… Why was I given Invidious? Do they think I envy them? If I envied them then that would mean they are better than me… They think their better than me don’t they? Hmm Ruby is everyone’s favorite… I wish I was someone’s favorite. I mean I’m not Invidious… Maybe just a little lonely…

The adventurers had so far worked their way through three of his siblings’ trials. He would be the fourth one for the adventurers to face. He knew that any day would be his time to shine. Of course, once they beat him they would move onto Diamond with his Voracity title.

HA I might be Invidious, but at least I am not Voracity. Might as well be the sin of obesity. I know voracious is devouring a ton of food, but it’s just a title. He doesn’t have to reflect that… Or maybe he was always a fatty and I just didn’t notice it because of his puffy pup body. His coat sure is tough though… It would be nice to have a tough coat. No! I am not invidious. Haha.. Diamond of Obesity…

His trials were all interesting to Opal. It made sense. His father didn’t understand it, but he did. It was mentally tasking, morally hindering, and socially destructive. It broke adventurers down and tore their parties apart. Diamond’s trials were intriguing. The first trial involved sand stone that was made to look and taste like food. There was another beautiful statue of a fatter looking Diamond proudly smirking that released an aura to make all those in the room to feel ravenous and think irrationally.

The second trial was full of thick gold cylinders called coins. Bastill had told him personally that it was a way to trade for objects in their culture. The exit was located on the other end with a deep and wide trench of water between it and the heavy coins. There was no aura, he had been told that their natural desire would be to attempt to take as many coins as they could with them.

The last trial had a condition that the adventurer’s each must drink a small drink. It was called alcohol and after testing the adventurer’s and Bastill’s mana evolved variation his dad had readily slurred his words saying that it may be a tad stronger not that he could tell. He had then proceeded to stagger around the dungeon and even offered a few of the Racoonoids a ride on his back. His dad still refused that it happened despite the dozens of witnesses and the Racoonoids new idea to ride their goats around.

Ahhh! Adventurers are near! I can smell them. I wonder which trial they took.

His first trial much to his disappointment was very similar to Ruby’s. It had an object that had an aura that made everyone desire it and fight over it.

I’m not Invidious… It doesn’t even matter that they are similar to each other… Or that she was given the trial before me… Nope not envious. It doesn’t bother me at all.

His second trial involved another aura that made others awkward and envious of each other. Which led to infighting. Why did his siblings get all the cooler trials… It wasn’t fair to him. The third trial wasn’t even worth mentioning.

I deserve better trials…

The adventurers stumbled into his room while he was still curled up in a ball in the corner. He looked up to see his challengers. They were covered in different colors that were still dripping off of them despite the several other rooms of ordinary blood foxes. One with an axe stepped forward and shouted at him, “What the fuck was that trial for!?! Like what the fuck was that you little fucking fox?”

Some girl behind the pink and yellow colored axe wielder was trying to calm him down, “Derk relax a little. You don’t seriously believe the cute little fox made the trial do you.”

Opal took a long yawn as he slowly got up and stretched.

Cute little fox… Hmmm I like this human. At least she understands me, the trials aren’t my fault. By the looks of it I guess they chose the third trial…